Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, Texas – South Texas College is expanding opportunities for faculty and staff seeking leadership roles in higher education through a new partnership with the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Recently, STC and UTSA officially signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) on Thursday establishing a new online cohort pathway for a Master of Higher Education Administration degree program, designed specifically for working professionals in higher education.
Speakers at the ceremony included Rodney Rodriguez, Ph.D., STC vice president for Institutional Advancement and External Affairs; Anahid Petrosian, Ph.D., STC vice president and provost for Academic Affairs and Economic Development; John Davis, Ph.D., associate dean for Graduate Education at UTSA and Vanessa A. Sansone, Ed.D., assistant department chair and associate professor in UTSA’s Higher Education Administration Program.
The inaugural STC cohort is expected to begin in fall 2026. Applications are open through Aug. 1. Information sessions are scheduled throughout the summer for interested applicants.
The partnership will provide STC faculty, staff and prospective higher education leaders with an opportunity to earn a graduate degree focused on community college leadership while continuing to work and serve students in the region.
“This is going to be a great opportunity for staff who want to advance into a master’s program to get training in topics that directly impact their work at a community college,” said Maricela Oliva, Ph.D., manager for Access and Advocacy at STC’s Office of Sponsored Initiatives.
Oliva, who previously helped establish the Higher Education and Student Affairs program at UTSA, said the partnership addresses an important need in the region.
“We have a lot of really outstanding staff members, but because we haven’t had a higher education administration program in the Valley, they are trained in other areas,” Oliva said. “This program helps fill those gaps in knowledge about students and what helps them be successful.”
The part-time, 30-credit-hour master’s program is cohort-based and fully online, with limited visits to San Antonio.
Students will take evening courses in eight-week formats designed to accommodate working professionals. UTSA leadership said the program can be completed in less than two years and includes discounted tuition and fees for participants.
Kelli Cano, Ph.D, director of the Transfer and Educational Advancement Center at STC, said the cohort model is intended to create a strong support system among participants.
“The idea is for them to meet together and do their classes together in a common space so they are not by themselves doing this,” Cano said. “They have that camaraderie with other people going through the same experience.”
During the ceremony, UTSA leaders highlighted both institutions’ commitment to expanding access and preparing future transformational leaders in higher education.
“We sought out STC to be a partner,” said Sansone, Ed.D. “We are committed to creating transformational leaders within community colleges and two-year institutions because they are leading the way in workforce development and student success across Texas.”
Rodriguez said the agreement marks another step forward in strengthening educational opportunities for employees and students across the region.
“This is the beginning of a beautiful partnership,” Rodriguez said during the ceremony. “We’re really excited to see how many students and staff we can encourage to continue their education and we look forward to growing this relationship with UTSA.”
The next virtual session for the inaugural cohort will take place on Wednesday, June 24 at 12 p.m. Those interested can register for this session at bit.ly/SouthTexasCollegeCohort1_InfoSession2.
